A Dark Murmuration of Words contends with a modern era built on racial and gender inequality, poverty and slavery, environmental exploitation and the climate crisis, finding them all connected by the dark shadow of patriarchy, pursuits of power, and the suppression of history. Referencing Emily Dickinson’s assertion that “If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves,” Barker draws connections between the familial, the local, and the global: a mother sings to her unborn child, asking for its forgiveness on Strange Weather, Where Have The Sparrows Gone? looks outside an apartment window and imagines a post-apocalyptic birdless London, and a monument to a Confederate general comes alive for a “how-I-got-away-with-it” confession on Machine. Throughout A Dark Murmuration of Words, all of our choices, our unspoken prejudices, our carelessness, connect us to the whole, but becoming aware and honest on a local, personal scale, can begin to effect change, allow for healing, and tease out beauty from chaos.
After Emily Remler's untimely death from a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 32, Concord issued two anthologies of her work, although all six of her CDs for the label were still readily available. The guitarist was still blossoming at the time of her last session for the label; this second volume concentrates on her work as a composer. "The Firefly" is a lively hard bop piece in the style of Wes Montogmery, while the very soft, understated "Waltz for My Grandfather" is reminiscent of Jim Hall. "Nunca Mais" is an upbeat samba featuring trumpeter John D'Earth in a pianoless date; a second session with him produced four more Remler tunes, all of which are present on this CD. Her duo date with Larry Coryell didn't include any of her works, so it is not represented in this release. Her last date for the label included "Blues for Herb," a swinging tribute to her friend and fellow guitarist Herb Ellis…
Canadian-Italian singer Emily D’Angelo announces her upcoming second solo DG album freezing, which features seventeen songs drawn from folk tradition, art song and beyond. The mezzo-soprano offers a personal take on music that spans five centuries, ranging from songs by John Dowland and Henry Purcell; Rebecca Clarke, Zoltán Kodály, W.C. Handy and Philip Glass; to recent works by Randy Newman, Jeanine Tesori, Cecilia Livingston, “Adrian Ira” Kramer and US band Ween.
After Emily Remler's untimely death from a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 32, Concord issued two anthologies of her work, although all six of her CDs for the label were still readily available. The guitarist was still blossoming at the time of her last session for the label; this second volume concentrates on her work as a composer. "The Firefly" is a lively hard bop piece in the style of Wes Montogmery, while the very soft, understated "Waltz for My Grandfather" is reminiscent of Jim Hall. "Nunca Mais" is an upbeat samba featuring trumpeter John D'Earth in a pianoless date; a second session with him produced four more Remler tunes, all of which are present on this CD. Her duo date with Larry Coryell didn't include any of her works, so it is not represented in this release. Her last date for the label included "Blues for Herb," a swinging tribute to her friend and fellow guitarist Herb Ellis…